Jonathan Oosting | MLive.comThe state team reviewing Detroit's finances meets at the Cadillac Place in Detroit on February 28, 2012 (iPhone photo).

A funny thing happened last week in Detroit: The 10-member team appointed by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder to investigate the city's finances held its first-ever public meeting, which it devoted almost entirely to forming a subcommittee that would continue to meet in private.

The 20-minute procedural exercise came in the wake of a ruling by Ingham County Circuit Court Judge William Collette, who previously determined the team had violated the Michigan Open Meetings Act by meeting in private.

After a brief financial report and public comment session, Treasurer Andy Dillon on Tuesday proposed formation of a five-member advisory committee tasked with analyzing potential intervention options the full team can recommend to Snyder, including appointment of an emergency manager or negotiation of consent agreement with city leaders.

Dillon, citing "case law," said the Open Meetings Act allows such advisory committees to meet in private before reporting back to the full body. MLive.com asked the Treasury to explain the "case law" exception, but we have not heard back.

Apparently, Collette wants an answer too. As my colleague Jeff Wattrick pointed out on Friday, the judge has called the entire financial review team to explain themselves at a hearing on March 12.

As a result, Dillon has announced that the advisory committee will not conduct any meetings this week, despite the fact the full body is scheduled to make its recommendation to the governor by March 28.

"The advisory committee was appointed to advise the full review team, in a public meeting, of the possible statutory options for its eventual recommendation to the governor, and I believe it would not have violated the Open Meetings Act in any way," Dillon said in a released statement. "We look forward to explaining our position to the court."